This invention pertains to the art of paper supply apparatus and more particularly to a portable carriage that can easily transport paper supply rolls from one location to another and accurately position the supply roll in an associated apparatus. The invention is applicable to a portable carriage of a wrap apparatus as used in the mailroom industry and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it will be appreciated that the invention has broader applications and may be advantageously employed in still other environments and applications.
A wrap apparatus as used in a mailroom receives bundles of signatures or papers, for example newspapers, as the bundles exit a stacker or other upstream device and proceed along a conveyor toward a distribution station. To protect the bundle, a sheet or wrap of paper is cut from the supply roll and positioned over selected surfaces of the bundle. For example, the apparatus can provide a bottom or three-quarter wrap arrangement, a primary distinction between such arrangements being the extent or length of wrap paper that is placed around the bundle.
A new supply roll for this wrap paper weighs on the order of 150 pounds and is typically mounted on the wrap apparatus beneath the conveyor line. The supply roll is supported on a fixed or rotatable spindle, where the spindle is oriented along a horizontal axis. The leading edge of the paper is fed through a series of fixed and movable rollers to a feed slot that opens upwardly through the conveyor line that traverses the bottom wrap apparatus. A suitable mechanism for feeding a predetermined length of wrap paper over .the bundle, cutting the paper to length, and properly orienting the paper over the bundle is provided. The particular details of the structure and operation of various wrap apparatus of this type are well known in the art and form no part of the subject invention. Accordingly, further discussion herein of those details are believed unnecessary.
In some wrap apparatus, the spindle is fixed to a lower portion or base of the apparatus. Thus, once the supply roll is depleted and a new roll is to be installed, an operator must transport the 150 pound supply roll from a remote storage location to the wrap apparatus. The supply roll is then lifted on to the spindle. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the spindle is oftentimes located in a generally inaccessible area of the wrap apparatus, or it is simply difficult to manipulate the bulky and heavy supply roll in a confined area.
Other wrap apparatus of this type include a brake mechanism for controlling the feedout of the paper as it is used to wrap bundles. The requirement of a brake mechanism adds to the overall cost and operation of the wrap apparatus. Accordingly, a design that can eliminate a brake mechanism without adversely affecting the operation of the wrap apparatus would be helpful.